


Can't You Hear The Stars, My Love? They Scream

by WaitingToBeBroken



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Additional tags may ruin the surprise, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Mystery, Or Is It?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:14:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7161899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaitingToBeBroken/pseuds/WaitingToBeBroken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto Jones was one of the first to die in the battle of Canary Wharf. But then who is that man who looks like him, but carries fake memories of impossible things?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Choices That We Make

Some believed that your life was simply a string of decisions, each one more important than the previous, and events followed by them. Cause and effect and so on...

They were wrong. It was all in the small, at-first-glance meaningless details, that if changed could create another reality, a parallel world. But how could you distinguish the big from the small choices? For example, catching your plane half an hour earlier to surprise your girlfriend could seem an insignificant decision, right? Wrong! Because just that little detail was able to change realities and destroy worlds.

Of course, that had been the last thing that had crossed Ianto Jones' mind as he'd entered his apartment, his and his girlfriend's, and stumbled on said girlfriend snogging another man on their couch. Years later, as he looked back to that day, he realized that was how his story had started.

"How could you, Lisa?" This Ianto, however, was too busy shouting at his girlfriend to think. The stranger had left 5 minutes ago, seconds after his gaze had landed on Ianto.

"Please, cariad, hear me out," Lisa begged, grasping his hands in her own. He didn't push her away, too afraid he might hurt her even after what she'd done, but refused to meet her eyes nonetheless. "It was just a kiss. One kiss, Ianto, believe me."

The man shook his head, feeling tears burn in his eyes. And he had been so happy, so eager to come home and tell Lisa about that amazing offer some organization named Torchwood had made him. They had even offered a place for her. And the salary... they'd have needed to work just a couple of years to lay up enough so their grandchildren would live like kings. Now he didn't even know if they would have grandchildren.

"Forgive me, cariad. I'll never make such a mistake again." Lisa continued and he had to bite his lips to keep the snark reply burning on his tongue. You wouldn't cheat on me or you wouldn't let yourself get caught? He felt betrayed and small and... and so exhausted.

Ianto sighed and nodded, almost smiling when Lisa's face lit up. After all, it had been his fault as well. He shouldn't have left his girlfriend alone so soon after they had moved to London. She had felt lonely and turned to another man. Smiling softly, he extended his arms and Lisa leapt in them, just like she would have done if he had been 30 minutes late.

And somewhere in the back of Ianto's mind, a preposition that could have changed his life laid forgotten.


	2. Same And Still So Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place after Gwen saw the Weevil in the hospital. (Season 1, the first episode). It won't be hard to figure out the other things... weeell, the things I want you to figure out, at least

"Your coffee, sir," Ianto said softly as he entered Jack's office. His steps were soundless, a skill he'd picked up after going through things in his life he didn't as much as want to think about, careful. He didn't want to startle the other man who was currently staring at the wall with a dreamy smile on his face. However, his skills were in no use with the immortal and Jack broke from his dreamland nevertheless.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Jack asked, his eyes unseeing the other man and yet boring holes in his skull.

"Of course, sir."

And he did. He remembered their first meeting, both times. He recalled the playful and cocky Jack from the first first time they had met and nothing could erase from his memories the day he saw this Jack, so similar and yet so different from his one. It had been painful, still was to one degree, but he'd accepted it... his Jack was gone.

A smile twisted his lips. A butler smile- imperfect in its perfectness. He placed the cup on the desk and left, his mind drifting to the first time he had met his Jack. It was okay, though, because judging from the soft smile on his lips, this Jack wasn't thinking about him either.

_The cafe was medium sized, the colors of the walls were warm and created a homey feeling, the waiters were always smiling. Nothing out of the ordinary, but for Ianto it was a dream come true. When he was little he always said that when he grew up he was going to hunt monsters for a living and help damsels in distress. After he got older he realized that the only monsters in this world were humans and after Lisa... well, let's say he had found out that he wasn't much into damsels, either. Especially cheating damsels. And just like that the dream of his life had changed a little._

_He took in the appearance of the man who had just entered his cafe. Dark, unruly hair, begging him to run his fingers through it, long greatcoat on broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes. He smirked, definitely not a damsel. Ianto rested a hand on Kate's shoulder, one of his waitress who was heading the stranger's way, took her notepad and after straightening his suit approached the man._

_"Would you like something, sir?" he asked, taking full advantage of his accent that he knew affected most people. When the stranger lifted his head, his eyes slightly darker than when he'd entered the cafe, he knew it'd worked. The man looked him up and down appraisingly before his eyes rested on Ianto's face and he smiled seductively._

_"Depends. Do you have tall, dark and sexy in the menu?" The man's voice was rough and sent shivers down Ianto's spine._

_"I think we do, sir." Ianto returned the smirk and bent over slightly, reaching for the menu. The man's aftershave hit him straight in the face and he had to stop himself from sniffing him, it smelt too good. Mentally noting to ask the other for the name of the shop from which he had brought it, Ianto leafed through the pages before he found the one he was searching for and straightened. The man appeared slightly dazed as he gazed at the page and particularly at a cocktail called "Tall, Dark and Sexy". There was an amused smile on his lips when he lifted his head._

_"Cocky little thing, aren't you?"_

_"Yes, but you may call me Ianto Jones, too."_

_The stranger laughed and stretched his hand. "Cap'n Jack Harkness."_


	3. Always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a little before "Cyberwoman". I wanted to mention that in this story the first season is canon. The next couple of chapters will be showing both Ianto's memories and the present, until we get to the main even. Enjoy!

"Oi, Tea-boy, spending too much time in the basement, aren't you? Something we should know?" Owen's teasing voice boomed in the Hub as soon as Ianto was in sight.

Ianto's eyes widened in shock and it took all of his willpower not to stop dead in his track as his brain went on an overload. Could they know? What if they had found out and now were trying to test him or give him a second chance. A bubble of laughter almost escaped his lips. As if. If they knew they wouldn't give him a second chance, they wouldn't even let him explain. They would kill him, him and Lisa. He was a stranger to them even if he knew everything about them... No, not them, but people who looked like them. God, his life was messed up.

Meanwhile, as he was having a panic attack, his body decided to act on its own. His every-day mask slipped easily on his face as he continued his journey toward Jack's office.

"Teaboy! Coffee!" Owen yelled again, breaking him from his musings and this time forcing him to turn around. He glared at the medic who smiled at him slyly and jerked his head toward the kitchen. Ianto opened his mouth, most probably to tell him to "do it himself" when Tosh gazed at him with her adorable puppy eyes that even after years managed to move him. Sighing, he headed toward the kitchen and made 4 cups of coffee, figuring that he could give Jack his when he asked him about an alien Torchwood had caught 40 years ago.

Ianto raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow when, upon returning, he saw Tosh and Owen whispering conspiratorially and he got even more suspicious when they broke apart as soon as he entered the main room. He gave them the coffee, leaving Gwen's on her desk, and once again walked toward his boss' office. He did his best to ignore the barely audible whispers from behind him, but as he got closer to the room he wished Tosh and Owen hadn't stopped talking. That way he wouldn't have...

Suddenly, just as he reached to open the door, a hand wrapped around his biceps and a nervous-looking Toshiko jumped in front of him.

"I have to show you something," she said, although it sounded like a plea. When she noticed him hesitate, she blinked slowly, giving him her best begging gaze and simultaneously trying not to look as if she was desperate, which she was... clearly. "Please," she added for good measure and her eyes lit up when Ianto nodded and followed her.

Ianto appreciated it, what both Owen and Tosh had tried to do. But he wasn't blind nor was he deaf. He had heard the soft moans coming from Jack's office and the absence of Gwen had been a dead give-away. He smiled and nodded as he listened to the computer genius explaining him about the new programme she had created. He didn't dare think about the thing that was happening in Jack's office, scolding himself every time he did. He didn't have the right to, his heart shouldn't contract every time his thoughts headed that way, because...

_"Oi, Teaboy, over here," someone shouted and Ianto winced. Was it that time of the day already? He headed toward the voice, mentally preparing a long list of the things he wanted to do and would do if the owner of the voice had come alone. Luckily for him, and for Ianto, not that he would ever admit it, said man had brought his colleagues. At the beginning he had been claiming he was coming to the cafe just to observe how long his boss' fling would last. Now he tended to visit Ianto every day. Twice._

_"Hello, Jack. " Ianto smiled at the man he had known the longest in the group and then turned to nod at everyone, a frown forming on his face when he said the last name. "Tosh, Suzie... Owen"_

_Strange, really, but Gwen never appeared in his memories._

_"So, " Owen started, fiddling with the menu because he knew how much it irritated the other man. "What's new?"_

_"Well, believe it or not, not many things can happen for, "Ianto pointedly looked at the clock hanging on the wall before fixing his glare on the medic. "5 hours."_

_"Maybe he comes here so often because the coffee is the best in the whole world," Tosh pipped in, her eyes downcast and Ianto couldn't stop himself from smiling at the deep blush that spread over the girl's cheeks when she felt she had gotten everyone's attention with her attempt to defend Owen._

_"Well, it isn't because I want to see Teaboy here and Jack eye-fucking, in any case," Owen snickered._

_"If you don't stop calling me Teaboy I'll make sure you are served nothing but decaf here," Ianto growled with an ease that came only after repeating the same words over and over again._

_The medic relaxed in his seat, a laid-back smile that didn't suit his situation, and pointed at himself with one finger. "Customer here."_

_"Owner here," Ianto replied, tilting his head, his voice mocking._

_The rest of the group and a few of the other customers watched with amusement the exchange. Some of the regulars even started mimicking the bickering men's words with absolute accuracy, making their companions laugh in delight. It happened twice a day after all._

_"Ianto," Jack cut in when the argument started heating up. Ianto looked at him, mostly acting on an instinct and his scowl softened when he was met with a dazzling smile and twinkling blue eyes. "Have you considered my offer? My team really needs someone like you... and if you're working for me you can make sure Owen gets only decaf," the man continued, wearing his hope in his eyes. It was at least the tenth time he'd asked the Welshman, but something was telling him that this would be the time the man before him agreed._

_Ianto grinned, just a hint of sadistic pleasure when he heard the "Oi!" coming from Owen, before he replied, "I thought about it and my answer is still no, Jack. As much as I'd like to spend more time with you, all of you, there isn't really anything that I'd be able to do for you beside coffee. Not to mention that I don't even know what you_ do _... So, decaf for Owen, what about the others?"_

_If someone noticed the way his smile dimmed slightly no one commented on it. It was the only change in his demeanour. He continued chatting and joking with the customers that had become his friends, accepting the moans of appreciation and the small smile of relief from Owen, when he brought the medic normal coffee. But inside he couldn't stop replaying Jack's words. They needed someone like him... didn't the man know that he was unable to do anything except of coffee, that probably he would just stand in their way, that..._

**He was just the Teaboy.**

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know, this was weird and basically had nothing to do with the summary of the story. But don't worry, we are getting there. It is a mystery after all.


End file.
